After 6 years of hard work – and having experienced some of the most life changing years of my life – Lovespirals‘ 5th album is finally out. This one is dedicated to the fans of my earlier work from the Projekt Records years; you won’t be disappointed. Buy/stream/listen on all your favorite sites or buy it directly from us on our Bandcamp store. Limited edition 4-panel eco-wallet CDs with a matching pin are still available at the time of writing. You can also check out ‘Life Goes On’ via Pandora and give a thumbs up to your fave tracks!
“Stunning… Gorgeous… Some of Ryan Lum’s best work as a songwriter and musician.. Haunting and ethereal. Absolutely Anji Bee’s most nuanced vocals… beautiful and sultry.” — Matt Rowe, MusicTAP
MusicTap made a little write up about our very soon to be released album, Life Goes On.
Since 1992, the genesis of the current Lovespirals began a recording career as Love Spirals Downwards (Ryan Lum and Suzanne Perry) with four exquisite recordings (Idylls – 1992, Ardor – 1994, Ever – 1996, Flux – 1998), all on Projekt Records. After a short hiatus, the band regathered with a new vocalist by the name of Anji Bee, and released four additional excellent sets (Windblown Kiss – 2002, Free & Easy – 2005, Long Way From Home – 2007, Future Past – 2010) as Lovespirals. After a long, long break from recording as a duo (Anji Bee released a solo album, Love Me Leave Me, back in 2013), the Lovespirals iteration will deliver their fifth album, Life Goes On, with a collection of ten new songs written by the pair. Having been a fan from the beginning, I’m excited for this new collection of music from Ryan and Anji.
Inspired by Pitchfork Mag’s “30 Best Dream Pop Release” list, Post-Punk compiled their own definitive Top 100 list by, “whittling down a list of nearly 200 releases over a series of loving debates.” Glad Love Spirals Downwards made the cut! Read the full Post-Punk Definitive Dreaminess: 100 Essential Dream Pop Releases or jus check out the blurb below:
64. Love Spirals Downwards- Flux (Projekt Records, 1998) The fourth and final album by Love Spirals Downward, darlings of the California ethereal set, broke stylistic ground for the duo of guitarist Ryan Lum and chanteuse Suzanne Perry. While the band’s earlier Projekt releases Idylls, Ardor and Ever stayed firmly within the subgenre’s melody-centered Cocteau Twins-influenced template, Flux incorporated skittering, downtempo trip hop and drum and bass rhythmic elements, oddly rendering their music even more intoxicating and opaque. Tracks like the peerless “City Moon,” “By Your Side,” and pulsating epic closer epic “Sunset Bell” felt like being trapped in a waking dream that you never wanted to end.
For the first time ever, the 1996 ‘Sideways Forest Single’ is available digitally! This was the only CD-single ever released by Love Spirals Downwards, and while you can still find a few used copies of the CD online, it has been largely unavailable the past decade. In addition to the album mix from ‘Ever’, the ‘Quantum Remix’, and and b-side instrumental, “Amarillo,” this expanded reissue also features 2 bonus tracks: the recently unearthed “Acoustic Mix” created by Ryan in 1996 — PLUS a live version of the ‘Quantum Remix’ recorded at ProjektFest 1997. While the “Quantum Remix” was never released digitally, neither of these bonus tracks have been previously released in ANY format, making this a very special release. The cover artwork has been recreated with a slight update using the original photo taken by Barbara Dowis. The Sideways Forest EP is also available for streaming on Apple Music and Spotify.
“Beautiful arrangements and heavenly vocals have always been at the heart of Love Spirals Downwards’ work, and the Sideways Forest EP is a great example of the band at their best.”
Once again, Love Spirals Downwards’ vocalist, Suzanne Perry, and Lovespirals vocalist, Anji Bee, have collaborated with John Zorko of Falling You. ‘Shine’ is the first of his albums to be released by Projekt, who are offering a limited edition CD as well as a digital release.
Suzanne Perry discuses “Until the Stars Align,” her contribution to Shine. “Creatively, the ingenues that live in John and I connect. Getting a song from him is always surprising as he manages to weave an unexpected intergalactic sounding sound. Sometimes I don’t know what to do with these sounds to be honest, but I’ve grown fond of them and have come to know them as Zorkoesque. What did I think of when creating this song? As it has always been for me, it’s not been about thinking or connecting the sounds to the world as it is in these fleeting moments. But I recall thinking about the night sky. The lyrics for ‘Until the Stars Align’ were written mostly by Cris Miller.”
Projekt.com
Cris Miller, as you may recall, collaborated with Suzanne first in 2004 on a cover of “Sally’s Song” for the Projekt Holiday Single 2 maxi-CD under the name Melodyguild. Also known as Silver Screen, Miller contributed vocals as well as lyrics to the Falling You cut, making him perhaps the first male vocalist featured by John Zorko.
Part Dream Pop, part Americana, the new single from Lovespirals is considerably more upbeat than it’s predecessor, “Brother Against Brother.” Bandleader, Ryan Lum, juxtaposes driving blues riffs and dreamy shoegazer guitar, finding a delicious balance between his earlier Love Spirals Downwards work and more recent Lovespirals work. His wife Anji’s vocals exude a confidence born from years of familiarity with the material, with a lovely harmony of her natural earthy tone and haunting upper register.
“Heartstrings” is a high point in the tracklisting for Lovespirals’ upcoming 5th album and a celebration of the duo’s creative connection. The music video, created by the band themselves, is a beautiful representation of the song, shot during the height of California’s wildflower season. With 3 years experience shooting, editing and producing videos for their YouTube channel, Happy Healthy Vegan, this artistic couple have created what is surely their best and most professional looking music video to date.
Buy the new single & music video on Lovespirals’ Bandcamp to help fund the band’s upcoming 5th album
The 2010 Sleepthief song “Empyrean” featuring Suzanne Perry’s classic glossolalia style vocals is included on the 2015 expanded version of Labyrinthine Heart. This song was previously only available on a Barnes & Noble exclusive compilation CD, making this the first time it’s been available on streaming services. “Empyrean” is 1 of 4 bonus tracks added to the 2009 album, which also features updated artwork.
Love Spirals Downwards Live brings the past to the present, putting you front row and center at a signature LSD acoustic show. This compilation of rare live tracks, taken from several shows including the Projekt Festival (1997), the Troubadour (1995), and a living room concert recorded for Echoes on Public Radio International (1996), has been lovingly assembled to provide a seamless concert experience. This collection features previously unreleased live renditions of “Kykeon,” “Stir About the Stars” and a cover of “Tear Love From My Mind” by Black Tape for a Blue Girl, plus the 9 songs originally included on a super rare mp3.com CDR back in 2001. Produced and mastered by Ryan Lum in 2014.
Digital album out now at Bandcamp for download in your choice or format. Also available for streaming on Spotify or Apple Music.
The first new single from Lovespirals since their 2010 album Future Past marks a return to form for band founder Ryan Lum. Lum burst onto the American dream pop scene in 1991 as Love Spirals Downwards on the Projekt label, quickly establishing himself as one of the best ethereal producers and guitarists in the genre. “Brother Against Brother” is a swirling, ambient, folk-tinged dream pop track featuring heavily effected ethereal guitar and female vocals by bandmate Anji Bee. You can grab the digital single from Bandcamp or watch the official music video on YouTube.
Love Spirals Downwards new Bandcamp page is now offering the 2007 remastered reissue of their seminal second album, ‘Ardor,’ Not only does this reissue offer excellent sonic quality, but an extended songlist including two never before released out-takes and a live recording. Plus, it boasts a beautiful new version of the cover art, expanded for the digipac format. Band founder, Ryan Lum, returned to his master tapes and re-mastered the entire album to ensure the highest sound quality possible. Lum has said that he “always felt the mastering quality was lacking, particularly with ‘Ardor'” and that “compared to the original” the reissue “sounds much cleaner and sweeter.” Indeed, the depth and clarity of the recordings is remarkably improved with greater definition and more sparkle. Buy either the Projekt Records CD or digital download in your choice of audio format on Bandcamp now!
“An album that is compelling, evocative and very, very beautiful.” -Singapore Vogue
Ethereal Shoegaze and Electronica from Projekt Records
